


The Christmas Truce

by orphan_account



Category: English Project - Fandom, Original Work
Genre: F/M, War, World War I, just an english project, put it up here to see if it is good
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-06-10 00:31:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6930697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My version of The Christmas Truce (the football match between both sides on the first Christmas of the first world war), and a young couples experience of the men being sent off to war. - English project, original work, please let me know what you think!</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Christmas Truce

**The Christmas Truce**

Silence filled no-man’s land. Not a sound was uttered. No-one dared to break it, as this was the first silent night they had had in the whole dreaded war. Well, all but one.  
This ‘one’ was called Ralph Scott. A quite normal 27 year old man, quite average, apart from one significant fact that stood him out to most men in 1914. That fact being that he didn’t agree with the war. In 1914, we think about men queueing up, trying to be one of the first to enlist. But among these, there were a handful, that even though they didn’t really want to, they still enlisted, for king and country. These handful, thought of the war as a waste, what was the point? All that was going to happen was that men were going to die, and for what, glory? Bragging rights?  
Ralph Scott was one of these people, even though he strongly disagreed, he still enlisted. He left his sister, his mother, and his sweetheart, to fight, alongside his mates and his best friend. But he never forgot that the war was wrong. And after the first few months, many of his fellow soldiers came to agree with him. This is his story, of how he stood up for what he thought was right, even if the consequences were great.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Silence hung in the air around me, as if challenging me to break it. I sat down, bringing the letter I had just got given out of my pocket. As I looked down, I noticed my hands were trembling like a tree shaken by a strong gust of wind. Ignoring this fact, I flipped open my pen-knife, and cut open the envelope, and tipped out the letter.  
‘My dearest Ralph,  
I hope this letter reaches you in good health. I can’t even imagine how it must feel to be out there, fighting every day, and with your view on it.  
Everyone back here misses you, me, your sister, your nephew and your mother especially. It isn’t the same without you here.  
Please try and come home as soon as you can. I miss you.  
Yours truly, Evangeline.’  
I sighed. I missed Evangeline immensely, as well as my family, I couldn’t wait to be able to go home, and for this war to be over. It was meant to be finished by now, but it was obvious to everyone that it wasn’t going to be. ‘Sign up’ they said ‘and be home by Christmas.’ Who know how long the war will last for? I sighed again, tilting my head to look up at the night’s sky. This night, the stars are like mini suns, shining like burning balls of fire, lighting up the jet-black sky.  
“Silent night.” I muttered under my breath. “Holy night.” I sang softly under my breath.  
“All is calm, all is bright.” I sang, a little louder.  
“Round yon Virgin Mother and Child.” I looked to my left surprised to hear another voice join in, to see one of my mates, a fellow soldier, looking up at the stars as well.  
“Holy Infant so tender and mild.” I turned to see that most of the men around me had also joined in, gradually getting louder.  
“Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.”  
Though what happened next was most defiantly not to be expected. As we started to sing the next verse, more people joined in, making it even louder, attracting the attention of the Germans from the other side of no-man’s land.  
“Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht” could be heard from the Germans side. Looking at each other in surprise, we decided to carry on.  
“Shepherds quake at the sight.”  
“Durch der Engel Halleluja.”  
“Heavenly host sing Alleluia.”  
“Christ, der Retter ist da.”  
“Christ, the Saviour is born.”  
We trailed off, unsure of what to do next. One-by-one, we all slowly turned to look at the sky. I turned slightly to look at my wrist watch, seeing that it was 12:07.  
“Merry Christmas.” I whispered, not just to the men half-asleep around me, but to my family, to my Evangeline, who I wasn’t able to be there for today.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
I awoke at dawn, the sun just appearing in the sky. I looked down at my watch, seeing the time was 8:00. I turned, seeing that half my group were awake. I looked up, thinking. ‘It’s Christmas. I’m sure everyone here doesn’t want to spend the day shooting and killing, and getting killed.” I then stood up and made the most reckless decision of my life. I slowly started climbing up the ladder, my hands reaching up. I could barely hear the shouts of my fellow soldiers over the beating of my own heart in my chest so loud that I wouldn’t be surprised if the Germans could hear it.  
When I had gotten over the ladder, I could hear the Germans as they spotted me, and started moving around. I braced myself, my eyes closed, expecting to be shot, but then I heard the shouts of  
“Nein, nein.” At this, I slowly opened my eyes, to see one of the Germans walking up onto no-man’s land. I slowly began treading towards him, letting my hands fall to my side. I was semi-conscious to the fact that the rest of the soldiers were following me hesitantly, while the Germans were following the other man, clearly trusting his judgement.  
I walked up to the man, and reached out my hand, saying “My names Ralph.” He looked at my hand, before reaching in and shaking it, replying with “Berti.” They watched as the soldiers from both sides started to come together and shake hands, exchanging names and starting conversations. I turned to Berti, asking “English?” He replied with “Bit of.” I smiled “That is a lot easier then. We started talking about Christmas, and family. “What family do you have?” I smiled, explaining that I have a mother, sister, nephew and girlfriend. I showed him the pictures I kept in my pocket. He then went on to say about his family, that he has a mother, and a younger brother.  
We heard a shout behind us, turning quickly to see what was going on. We relaxed when we saw that it was only someone holding a football. “Fancy a game?” The man asked around. The response was very quick, some taking off their jackets to mark out the goals. The game quickly commenced, for once not really caring who the opposition were, and not caring who was winning, but only caring that they fun.  
It was a beautiful sight, after months of bloodshed, months of killing and being killed, the two enemies playing a game of football with no arguments, it almost brought tears to my eyes when I realised that this would only last for one day. Tomorrow we would just go back to killing each other. I chose to forget about this detail, and just live in the moment. Soon after we started playing, scored were forgotten, no-one caring.  
The end of the day came to fast, and farewells were forced upon us. I shaked hands with Berti, silently praying to meet again. “It’s been a pleasure.” I said.  
“You too.” Berti replied, a smile evident on his face. We walked away from each other regretfully, walking back to our own trenches, thinking about what happened. That was when the thought came back, what would happen tomorrow? Would we go back to killing them?  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
It was my groups turn to go over the top, to face the barbed wire and the oncoming shots from what everyone calls the enemy. I had spent the night thinking over what I believed in, and made up my mind. I was not going to do something I didn’t believe in, even if the consequences were great.  
When the general came to tell us to get in position, I made my move.  
“No.” The general looked at me in surprise, as I had always been one of the quiet, less outspoken ones.  
“Excuse me?” He repeated, making sure he had heard me right.  
“I’m not doing it. I’m not going over the top, and I’m not shooting the Germans. They are not our enemy, they are our equal.”  
The general sighed, before standing straight, and said “If that’s it, I regret to inform you that I am arresting you, Ralph Scott, on the condition of refusal to fight.”  
I got lead away by him and one of the other generals, before being sent on trial, though I told them the exact same thing. I knew what was coming and I was going to face it, not turn away in fear.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Before I was moved to the execution room, I was allowed to write one last letter. I sat down, picked up the pen, and started writing.  
My love, Evangeline,  
I am sorry that I was not able to come home for Christmas. It breaks my heart, but thank you for the letter I got, it made the day seem brighter. My mother was probably complaining that I couldn’t come home, but tell her not to fuss, and sister too.  
I want you to tell everyone I love them, especially Kai, I wonder how much my nephew has grown now.  
I miss you all.  
If I am honest, I am scared, scared of being killed. I have to write this, in case I am killed. My only regret in life, my only regret, was not being able to call you my wife. The first thing I want to do when I get home is propose, and I hope I still get a chance to.  
Yours forever, Ralph Scott.  
I was moved to a different room, with the firing squad inside, carrying their guns, not moving, though some of their eyes looked at me in pity. I was moved to in front of a wall, hand tied behind my back.  
“Mr Ralph Scott. You have been proven guilty of cowardness. You are to be shot because of your refusal to fight. Do you have any last words?”  
Slightly surprised by this sentence, I asked “When you tell my family, my sweetheart, of what happens now, could you tell them I was killed in action, and that the letter was my last one, written just before I died.” My eyes filled with heaps of sorrow, so much so that the officer took pity on me, he thinking that I was just a man who made a wrong decision.  
“As this is your last request,” he started, looking me in the eyes “I will grant this wish.”  
I smiled slightly, but my eyes remained sad, as I knew what was coming next.  
“Soldiers. Take aim.”  
I knew that I was never going to see my mother again.  
“3”  
Never going to see my sister again.  
“2”  
My nephew.  
“1”  
My sweetheart, Evangeline.  
“Fire!”  
My last though was ‘Evangeline, I love you.’  
My body slumped to the ground, lifeless.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
A knock at the door awoke me from the light nap I was taking. I quickly hurried to the door, and opened it, freezing when I saw a soldier standing there, hand behind his backs.  
“Excuse me, Miss Blake?” the soldier politely says, though with pity in his eyes. At my nod, he moved his hands in front of him, revealing a telegram. My eyes widened. “I am sorry.” I was confused, though I had an idea of what had happened, though I refused to believe it until I saw the letter. I gave a small nod, for in return the soldier looked at me sympathetically.  
I quickly closed the door, and leaned against it. With shaky hand, I ripped open the envelope, poured out the letter and opened it. I stared at it for a minute, the words not registering in my mind. Suddenly, a heart-wrenching sob escaped my lips, my body shacking as sobs overcame my body. I slowly slid down the door until I was sitting, the letter escaping my hand, falling gracefully to land next to me. I slowly pulled my legs in, my knees to my chest, as I continued to cry, tears falling down my face. I wrapped my arms around my knees, resting my forehead against them as tears continued to escape, showing no sign of stopping. I couldn’t believe it.  
‘Miss Evangeline Blake.  
It is my painful duty to inform you that Mr Scott has been Killed In Action  
We enclose his last letter.  
My apologies, General Avery.’


End file.
